Getting Caught Up in Elf on the Shelf Mania

I admit it. I got caught up in Elf on the Shelf mania this year. After two years of watching my friends post hilarious photos of their elves in mischievous scenarios — from making snow angels in powdered sugar to taking a ride in Barbie's sports car — on Facebook and Pinterest, I wanted in.

I was just as excited as the kids when we brought our Elf on the Shelf home from the store. When we took the Elf out of the box, we learned that we had to name him. It kind of reminded me of "adopting" my first Cabbage Patch kid nearly 30 years ago. My boys gave their elf the name "Elfy." When we read the book, we learned that Elfy reports to Santa in the North Pole every night up until Christmas, and when he returns, he moves to a different spot in the house. It's pretty much a big ploy to get kids to behave leading up to Christmas Day. But as a parent, sometimes you'll do anything to encourage good behavior.

They were excited the next morning. The kids woke up earlier than usual and raced downstairs to find Elfy. They found him perched on the mantle next to a snowman figurine and were delighted about the whole experience. They talked about Elfy all day and kept asking, "Where do you think he's going to be tomorrow, mom?"

Score! Mom of the Year award, here I come.

The next few mornings the kids found Elfy in a number of positions – from sitting on the couch with an iPod on his lap playing Angry Birds to reading Frosty the Snowman. They even found Elfy holding my 5-year-old son's wallet with a dollar bill in his hand. I thought it was hilarious, but my son was confused. "Why would Elfy want to take my money?" he asked me? I chalked it up to silly little elves and had the perfect idea for an even bigger practical elf joke.

The next morning, the boys woke up to find that Elfy had used a permanent marker to draw faces on a framed photo of them. I thought I was being funny. What's a little mischief amongst elves, right? I mean, I've seen dozens of families do the same thing — if not worse — on Facebook and Pinterest. Well, my kids didn't get it. They didn't understand why Elfy was being so bad. My oldest son asked, "Are we supposed to tell Santa that Elfy is being naughty?" And my youngest son pleaded, "Mom, are you mad? Please don't send Elfy back. He'll be good."

That's when it occurred to me that I had taken it too far. I got caught up in trying to make it funny and brag to my friends about Elfy's hijinks, and didn't realize that I was sabotaging the very message I was trying to give my kids. I mean, if the elf sent by Santa couldn't behave, then how could I expect any differently from my kids?

Luckily, it wasn't too hard to turn around Elfy's mischievous streak. Before bed that night, I told Elfy (in front of the kids, of course) that I expected him to wipe off the marker stains from the photo frame, and he'd better shape up or I'd have to report him to Santa and request a new elf.

The next morning, the boys found the photo frame marker-free with a note from Elfy that said he was sorry. They even found Elfy on the banister fixing a couple of stockings that had gotten tangled up. Elfy was on a mission to behave better — and so was I.

Do you use the Elf on the Shelf? Has your Elf been naughty or nice?

Tracey Black is the author of Don't Mess with Mama, a blog about parenting, work-life balance, healthy eating, and life as a far from perfect mom. She has three boys under the age of eight, and lives in San Diego, California.

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